


Rising Force, Rebellious Seed - The Foretelling

by SWAG_77



Series: Star Wars Actors Guild 77 stories [1]
Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-12-01
Updated: 2009-12-01
Packaged: 2018-03-03 18:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2860328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SWAG_77/pseuds/SWAG_77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when a Jedi padawan commits a crime and is punished by the Jedi and the Force? Who is more severe? And what side of the Force will be preferred? A tale about a young woman, enslaved by pirate slavers, saved by powerful alien beings that have faith in a pantheon of gods absent from the Force, and her will to to continue living among them as their avatar to one of their gods.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Heretical Quatrains of the Yuuzhan Vong Great Doctrine - or - The Foretelling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mama Lucy](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mama+Lucy), [Honey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honey/gifts), [Beauty](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Beauty), [Yemaya](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Yemaya).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heretical quatrains of the foretelling of Auset and the Yuuzhan Vong.

The Foretelling

Quatrain I:  
The forsaken forgotten slumberer kanabar Warrior Woman will rise!  
A Yun Yammka Blessed Warrior serves Yun’o for their Seed  
The Infidel-Demons’ blasphemy kills Yo’gand’s Hand crèches  
Let the Yun’os’ Word be spoken atop the fleet of the Yuuzhan Vong Empire as THE FORETELLING!

Quatrain II:  
A Yuuzhan Vong convert not worth mentioning abandoned in a galaxy far, far away  
Escalated privately and clothed by her heresy to satisfy the Slayer God, Yun Yammka!  
The Goddess Yun Shuno, Blessed be Her name brought her to redemption…  
To rouse the Spirit of Yun Yammka in all Warriors for DO RO’IK VONG PRATTE!

Quatrain III:  
Yun Yuuzhan lights the way of the filthy unclean galaxy the Kanabar Warrior Woman leads  
Slaying the demons of our enemies with zealous loyalty  
And her master, the Yun Yammka Blessed Warrior will slaughter the demons’ leader  
Their lair upended to end their blasphemy of abominations as sung by Choirs of biots.

Quatrain IV:  
Blinded the master proclaims—A true Warrior has the Yun’o found in favor to protect!  
Battles together entwined the Lover Gods Yun-Txiin and Yun-Q’aah to bless not shaped  
But fear not, for this is “The Foretelling” bearing fruit of the Good News!  
The Warrior’s people hearts are opened and the Yun’o guards him from false witness…

Quatrain V:  
For the Yun’o blessings cleanses those who are oppressed in this new Yuuzhan’tar  
For there will be the Seed Saviors blessed with Heresy absent from dolor  
The Yun Yammka Blessed Warrior will redeem his Kanabar Warrior Woman’s temple  
Blessed be the Yun’o…

Quatrain VI:  
The first Seed Savior will be the Voorbode who is the damutek for the way of the others  
And will be prodigal before the path is completed…  
Then the demons of the enemies will strike against all Castes  
Murdering our Crèches before our vessels enter from the void

Quatrain VII  
The Seed Saviors will wait to redeem us after our great battles  
Armed by Yun Yammka Blessed Warrior’s Anahat and Kanabar Warrior Woman’s Heresy  
These are the Blessed Words of Him, the Yun Yuuzhan  
Bountiful and replenished Eighth Cortices for all Yuuzhan Vong… 

ZHAELOR  
TCHURROKK YUN'TCHILAT  
ZHAETOR ZHAE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire fanfic is a WIP for the last several years.


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Djan and Zora Mbend are part of last tribal lines of marooned Jedi on Haruun Kal from the Sith Wars. There plan was to build a Jedi Academy temple on Haruun Kal. But first get their daughter trained as one of the Jedi leaders. But the business leaders wanted the Korunnai farmer lands to exploit and they used the Trade Federation to help them.

Long ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away…

Star Wars

Rising Force Rebellious Seed – The Foretelling

Zora nuzzles her baby daughter in her hover-seat, while she works the last fiberoptic wire for the baby transport basket. It will rocket her from her village on Haruun Kal to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. A loud blast rocks the warehouse as lights splay across the night sky. Her baby bursts in the tears. She runs outside to her husband Djan, who stares at the aerial battle. “My Love, how long do you think it will take for the Trade Federation gunships to reach our village?”

Djan studies the fallout pattern of the missile charges that fire their emplacements on a small planetary defense fleet. Thunder bellows throughout the upcountry as lightning below flashes hues of violet in a sea of clouds, called “Cloudsea”. He had to decide his next course of action: To fix the landspeeder and get to Jedi ship rendezvous point for escape; or to protect his village from the Trade Federation attack. While he has come to accept that he will not return to Jedi Order, his daughter must go because of her strength in the Force, and the need for formal training. He wipes his hands with a towel to see through the viewscope to gauge his time. “Soon Zora. We will need to return to Coruscant to report to the Jedi Council. We seek justice against the heinous acts by the Trade Federation.”

Zora is compliant as she senses Trade Federation pods landing in her Korunnai village. She stretches out her hands and changes one pod’s trajectory from the village, but she cannot move them all. The pods pierce in the center of her village as its doors explode and monstrous droids, called IG-88 assassin droids emerge. “We have to get out of here, Djan! For the baby’s sake. If the Trade Federation were to ever discover us here--”

“I know,” Djan presses his lips together. Battle has begun. He senses more pods landing in the meadows near the village and the screams of the Korrunai farmers killed. “How can a business deal go so bad that the Trade Federation targets Korunnai farmers? The Senate will never fix this problem!” He opens the trunk of his refurbished landspeeder and puts on his Jedi Robes with his lightsaber. “Come Zora, we must defeat this system of oppression!”

Zora runs to the landspeeder and puts on her Master Jedi robes, and pulls her double-bladed lightsaber and activates it in time an IG-88 pod lands and fires at her. She somersaults to avoid contact and blocks its blaster fire. She Force pushes the droid across the mud and catches a droid limb slicing it with her lightsaber. But the droid is too fast, flies over her to cut her limbs. Through Force Vision she predicts the droid’s next move and angles her blades to its chassis, the weakest area and stretches out her hand to emit lightning to disable the droid. Through her Force Stare, the droid explodes as pieces land to the ground.

But another IG-88 fires at her and she has seconds to dodge the bolts, and Djan bumps her backside and chuckles at her overuse of Force powers again for just one droid. “You need to get the baby and put her in jump basket. We’ll rendezvous with the Jedi from Nanalusy’s cottage.” The blue and red lights glow and streak across the sky as Trade Federation ships hover and fire salvos on Korrunai villagers and move as a military line front to the main city, Pelek Baw. Djan worries about his wife and daughter, if they do not stick together they could be killed. He mutters, “Haruun Kal’s planetary defenses are not enough.”

“Master Mbend, sir, you have to get out of here!” Captain Towani Windu yells on his comlink over the loudness of the engines on the ships. “If the Trade Federation discover Jedi…”

“Understood. But our villages!”

Zora races to the workbench for the basket, and cradles her small baby girl. She was an infant less than a planet rotation old. Zora sings sweetly to her so that she can understand. “That’s a good girl. I told you, you were going to be sent to where Mommy and Daddy were trained. Yes you are. You are strong in the Force and that makes you a Jedi, like Mommy and Daddy!” 

The baby coos as Zora floats her in round woven fiberglass basket and waves her hand over the keypad as lights blink in harmony to set the security code. She goes to the landspeeder when Four IG-88s fire their weapons. Instantly, with Force Speed her time slows as she floats her daughter into the landspeeder, then lights her sabers impale them for immediate shutdown. She dodges most of the blaster bolts, but one grazes her thigh knocking down. She senses it lumber toward for the final kill, until a large red animal eviscerates the droid. It was her Force-bonded Akk dog that senses her distress.

She limps to the landspeeder, sabers intact and calls Djan. “Anytime, love?” 

His comlink stays silent. She can sense he is alive, but too disoriented to locate him. She looks at her 5 meter tall Akk dog that wags its behind as the sonic booms sound closer. She walks up the small bank and sees one Trade Federation ship after another firing their laser cannons on fleeing Korunnai villagers. The IG-88s comb the meadows to kill stragglers. It was mass genocide over a shady business deal gone sour. Deaths like these make highly trained Jedi to lose focus and an inability to use the Force without passion. She closes her eyes to envision what would happen if she Force Pushes the IG-88s back, but the outcome would result in the ships to come after her and the baby.

“Are you there, hun?” Finally, his comlink responds.

She turns clasping the round disc and snorts. “Yes, where are you?”

“Right here,” Behind her he holds her tight, glad to see her alive. He conceals the loss of their village from her but realizes his grief will have to wait. “We tried to save our Ghosh, but we were too late. Captain Windu’s Ghosh is safe and he said all Ghosh Mbend will be accepted there. They’re nearby the volcanoes with natural electromagnetic fields that will fry the Trade Federation ships and IG88 droids electronic sensors.” 

An IG-88 fires upon them and they take fighter stances. But Djan lifts the droid in the air where its head twists and turns in confusion. Djan flecks his fingers and the metal hunk collapses as yellow-green plumes of dust puffs. “Blood spoors. A mechanical fungus. It took a while for the spoors to work.” He jumps into the driver’s seat and revs the engines. “Well, c’mon! Let’s get going.” 

Captain Windu rides on a grasser beast and looks at the family. “See you at the village, Jedi Mbend." With a handful survivors their rides only trusts the jungle. While dangerous to outsiders, Korunnai felt safe. “We will adopt Ghosh Mbend into our village. They will be safe with us. I will look for others when this foolishness ends and adopt them, too. They will be nidosh.” He turns around into the deep jungle as he sees the Trade Federation burn the meadows into a brush fire. “Hey, Djan, Zora and baby – Remember our traditions: Honor, Duty, Family, and Herd. And may Pelekotan guide you…” His grasser beast gallops into the dark black-green trees of the jungle.

One last check on the basket and Zora jumps in the passenger’s seat and buckles. The landspeeder hovers and a momentary ignition, it accelerates along the old mining pathways of the Upcountry. Djan grins at Zora as her wiry hair pushes back in the wind. He clasps her hand to kiss it. Now they were a family and there was nothing the Jedi could do about it. While the Jedi frown on relationships, Djan and Zora were about Korunnai tradition. They knew the baby required proper training that only the Jedi Order on Coruscant can give. But, if more Korunnai became formal Jedi, then a Jedi Temple could be built on the planet and their traditions would be integrated, much like the Corellian Jedi. That was why Jedi Knight Djan and Master Jedi Zora came back to Haruun Kal and the Force would have it, that their baby meant to create a space for Jedi on this planet. 

The long winding road swam close to the waterfalls and lava rocks. Djan used his Jedi reflexes to maneuver around the natural landscape to the Jedi rendezvous point. He watches a smile across Zora’s face glide near him with a shrill of confidence surges. Everything had gone according to plan and by his design.

Then a Trade Federation Turbostorm-class gunship flashing bright blue and red lights hits the landspeeder as it flips while throwing Zora and the baby from it. Djan jumps from the vehicle and raises his hands as his lightsaber drops to the ground deactivated. “I surrender! Please, not my family! Don’t shoot.” 

The gunship activates its flamethrower and incinerates Djan alive. Zora in shock cannot see him burn, but hears his painful screams as she feels the pain of impalement by landspeeder parts. Her eyes race to find the baby basket as it rolls to a rock crevice and wobbles upright. She chuckles in pain to see that her baby is tongue-thrusting. Then three IG88s drop near her burnt husband's corpse as the last strands of his lifeforce dwindle and their burnt landspeeder. The clunks of their metal robotic feet move to search for any survivors and they see the baby basket. In a panic Zora turns on her stomach and crawls with her arms extended to press failsafe buttons to rocket the child to a safe house. The basket hurdles high into the air and spins to a preset designation. The IG88's attempt to fire at it but are too slow. Zora senses her death is near as the droid blasters aim at her, . she telepaths her dying thought to her daughter. “Mommy and Daddy will always love you in Pelekotan, my dearest Auset.” 

The basket darts into the forest near the falls. Zora’s Akk dog follows somehow able to conceal its Force in the jungle. 

She feels a bright warm light embrace her as the ghostly body of Djan hugs her and speaks in calm. “Auset is a survivor. She will keep our Korunnai traditions with faith in the Force, always.”


	3. Gul'Tchilat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Jedi padawan punished for heinous crime was lost to slavers and finds salvation with the gods of the Yuuzhan Vong Empire.

Long ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away…

Star Wars

Rising Force Rebellious Seed – The Foretelling

Chapter 2:

Before the cleansing of the galaxy

 

The downpour stops. Hot, sticky air permeates the dark muddy swamps on an unknown distant planet. Sunbreaks chap Auset’s skin from a midtone brown to a sepia-gold. She stands before the Overseer and his knout to take one of his beatings for the slaves. It took her a long time to have the courage to fight. But this time as her heart palpitated, she knew he was wrong. Wrong for his enslavement atrocities. Wrong for stealing money from the Corporation to pay his gambling debts, and then blame the slaves for low quotas. On this day, the Force found its way back into Auset and it told her to stand for justice. “This time, he’s gone too far and I am more than this. I’m Korunnai from planet Haruun Kal. I’m a padawan and this time it will change,” she recites her mantra.

Auset narrows her eyes as she tracks the Overseer’s movements as his henchmen yank her keloided, scarred biceps caused by the thorns of the Al Qotn swamp patties. She feels the tight, itchy rope bind her hands as a large, metal hook pokes into her tough hands and skin. She dangles high from the pillory as her chopped bare feet tip-toe on the soft-soupy gray mud.

The creepy old Overseer with boils on his scaly skin and huge hairs that exudes from his ear canals and filled with pustules and flakes of dandruff. He smells rancid. A body odor of vinegar. He wags his edemic hands as he spits at a hanging Auset with an admonishing flirt. He desires to bend her to his wildest crazed fantasies. But Auset senses his lies. Lies he told the Corporation, which owns the swamp patties fields. Lies that reverberate in the dark through the Force though he was unable to wield it. The Force flows through her as she sees how he lost his production quotas. How he blamed the slaves to the board of directors on hologram, exclaiming it was their inability to pick enough bushels. How he squandered the quotas and his corporate salary on HoloNet porn gambling on Zeltron, the party-planet. Auset turns her face to avoid the stench of the Overseer's lasciviousness breathe as he cozies up to her hung body and drags his warty hands to her private sacred spots. “I won’t whip you if you just come visit me in my office, Auset,” She cannot avoid the reek of illegal spice drug halitosis that wafts on her face.

But she dare not move and stares at her forearm scars she made to calendar her age in an ornate pattern. Auset remembers when she first arrived on this planet. Thirteen years old, a kidnapped child by slaving pirates. Another mundane story in the galaxy. But she was different. She was a Jedi padawan and she committed a crime. The Jedi ruled to punish her into the service in the Jedi Agricultural Corps, never to be a Jedi. The Force decided to punish her differently. Its punishment to be forgotten by the Jedi and her family. She inhales in resolution to not dwell on the pain of the past, her grief, or her loss. She decides to do the one thing the Jedi commands her to never do, she decides to sever herself from the Force, and all her suffering become numb. For a moment of time, she had no Force or use of it. She felt no pain, after dizziness, and then paralysis. Pain is endurance according to the Jedi teachings. Force Sever cheats the true meaning of the Force. But throughout her ordeal on this planet, she severs herself from the Force to withstand the lies of the pirates who sold her as a promotional gift to the Corporation and Overseer. She severs herself to withstand the humiliation from a rusty medical droid that labels her as excellent breeding stock for slaves. She severs herself to overcome the nasty flirtations from the Overseer who has warped delusions of child slaves and to create more slaves if he mates with her. While she rebukes him, she would hide to never to be found. As she got older, she would hit him, but her actions encourage him more. His wanton lust consumes him. He would threaten to whip her, but he would get mysteriously busy with comm calls from the Corporation and his lies to them and forget his ire with her.

But this time it was different. Her thoughts return to the present as she hangs from the pillory in Force Severs. But this time, it is as if the Force would not let her go. She sneers at him. “Overseer, the backs of slaves will never pay for your debts to the Corporation!”

The Overseer growls into her ear and turns to his audience. “See how she defies me? I will make her an example.” The Overseer leans in to mumble. “Last chance, baby. My office or my knout?” He flits out the shiny metal claws tied to leathery braids. Five in total.

The slaves were a mash of humans and aliens, Twi’leks and Torgrutans. The Corporation brought slaves to harvest the product because droids malfunction on this planet. By the Corporation's estimation, their only drawback to the product is low production levels. The Corporation ignores and brands the Al Qotn as a boutique product and sells it to the ultra-wealthy as this product is only production is on this planet.

One of his henchmen voices his concerns. “Boss, you sure that’s right? There’s talk she might be one of them Jedi. She screams and they’ll find this planet.”

The Overseer unfurls his knout into the sticky mud. “She won’t say much after I’m done, especially, if this _witch_ doesn’t die!”

Another Henchman, “Boss, it is bad luck! Who will heal the sick?”

The Overseer swings his whip and slices the henchman’s ear. “Better hope she can mend you.” His eyes glisten to a red rage and his skin turns blood-orange. His giddiness exudes from his boils to vent his frustrations on his prize calf. “Let’s see how Jedi this _witch_ is! You have nowhere to hide Auset, not this time!”

His knout swirls in the wind and gains momentum as he throws it toward her. It lacerates her back as pieces of meat dislodge and plop into the mud. The elderly slaves stiffen, and turn into hollow shells. The few child slaves whimper in horror.

The blow of the knout causes the body of Auset to jerk slightly. She blinks and grips her binders for his next onslaught. She is calm inside the Force as she grits her teeth and bears the pain.

Then a whisper from a place in the Force shares a secret with her, like a voice of a small child. “Zhaelor! Hold still, your redemption is at hand.”

Her eyes open shortly only to see her warm blood ooze from her back from what seems like multiple lashes. She lost count and slowly drifts back into unconsciousness from the dizziness that leads her again to Force Sever only to snap back from the offal smell of the Overseer's yell.

Another one of the Overseer’s henchmen decried, “Boss! Please, stop! She set my bone when I broke my limb!”

The Overseer furious hands shake as he cannot break the mighty Auset with his knout. He swings harder and more frequent. His whip frenzy exposes her sinews, but Auset does not squeak. She knew she will die. She accepts it. “After all, it is the reason why the Jedi Order expelled me,” her thoughts waft in her 19 year old mind. But that never stopped her from wielding the Force. Soon she realized that her reasons for dying were righteous because it is for the justice of a lost and forgotten people.

Then the child susurres louder. “Your redemption is a hand. Glory be!”

Her head struggles to turn into the direction where she thought she heard the voice, but no one was there. The rain returns as it washes her back from dark black-red blood to flow into a gully. Her trapezius muscles pulsate and more warm blood drools down her naked body. She inhales to regain her composure for another round by the Overseer.

His frustration becomes arrogance as he gloats to his audience. “What? You want some of this? You? Your next there buddy. I can tell you’ll die from this. I am the Overseer and you will all fear me!”

Her peripheral vision catches a glint of light that bounces from one body to several large bodies that rise in jerky anger. These transparent bodies feel like a vacuum holes in the Force. Her brow furrows as she senses their wrath of the Overseer's folly. But their desire to avenge her from his heinous desecration of her body jerks her muscles in rage. A sore pain sears through her body as she clenches her teeth to see their movements by her and into the open area where the Overseer rants.

“Look at me and all that I have, and then look at your savior. You think she is a Jedi? She is nothing but a slave. She is a foolish _WITCH_ ,” He boasts as he wound his knout in the torrential rains and its metal claws whine its warp song. His wrist lifts high into the air to sling the knout into her body again as he hopes these few lashings would be the fatal blow for Auset.

Then, out from her peripheral vision, a huge hand decloaks from the transparent bent light and grasps the Overseer's forearm. The overseer is lifted a meter off the ground. The knout limps and drops into the mud as it follows a small eddy into the gully. The Overseer is brought into the face of an alien with fluorescent green eyes and his entire hulk body decloaks. The being snarls in the Overseer's face with rage.

Suddenly, several other aliens decloak equally as hulky with odd living weapons, like snakes and dogs. They surround the slaves. One member of the squad spoke a strange gargled language. “Belek tiu? Ukla-na shel Yun Shuno?”

Through the Force, Auset understands it to mean: "Command me? Is this infidel the goddess Yun Shuno Incarnate?"

The large shadowy figure broke the Overseer's forearm into two pieces and drops him. He replies in the unfamiliar language with the authority of a leader, a commander. “Hurr.” As translated, "Perhaps."

She feels his eyes on her body, but does not fear him or his gaze. She senses his amazement and wonder. A strange feeling in the Force, these aliens were absent in the Force, and yet, Auset connects to their emotions and feelings. They felt they have seen a sign from their gods as if they witnessed a miracle in this galaxy.

The alien squad reveres her, and then their ire turns to the Overseer who squeals and grovels on the ground. Their synchronous voices chant “Tiz’Sh’rip” or "The Seed."

“Yun Shuno Khattazz,” the large shadow figure would call her as he confirms she is alive. He turns to the Overseer and growls at him in disgust. He spits in broken basic. “Rise brenzlit infidel and yield to sacrifice for your blasphemy.”

The Overseer yelps in pain. His mind processes that no military intervenes in a Corporation project, unless they were mercenaries hired to collect his debts. But their strange black armor on their bodies moves like crabs and suggest that they were not mercenaries. In his slimy mind, he could cut a deal with his profits in the small-time operation. “Well, yah broke my arm, uh…what are you?” His blood-orange colored rage returns when the Commander’s warriors unshackle Auset. “Hey. She belongs to me. She is my slave! My gift. I’m meant to breed with her. Look, you can’t take her.”

The Commander growls at the insipid Overseer. “Brenzlit kane a bar infidel. You speak blasphemy. You defile the gods.” One swift move and his snake-like weapon straightens, then flips to impale the Overseer through his abdomen. It traverses to his back as pieces of organs emerge from him the puncture wound. The lustful ire of the Overseer’s eyes wane and his body becomes flaccid. The Commander made his offering to the gods. A blasphemer that will further cleanse this galaxy among his people.

He barks orders and scoops Auset into his arms to carry her to his monstrous ship. It had eyes with horns and bubble-tubes that glow blue-green. Its black skin has an iridescent sheen causing it to shine. In his arms she sees they enter in a mouth, not a landing plank. Auset attempts to see more, but the stride of the Commander was brisk as she starts to scowl from the pain. She senses the worry from the aliens that she could die and their quest failed. The closer they get to the ship, the more the Force felt fuzzy, discolored, foggy and inaccurate, but she could feel their humility. “No warrior culture in the galaxy has strong beliefs in deities. These warriors seem Far-Outside this galaxy.”

Her pain stretches down her back as she contorts violently. That causes her to sever from the Force, and the pain ceases. The dizziness ensues and images rise in her mind about breaking the Jedi Code and to move through the pain. The Force is a gift until she hears the aliens speak and her blurred vision notices their movement, but her paralysis does not allow her to speak.

“You will heal her long enough to live through interrogation?” The Yuuzhan Vong Supreme Commander Czulkang Lah asks the Shaper Initiate or paramedic.

The Shaper Paramedic Initiate bows. “Yes Supreme Commander.”

The warriors whisper in unison. “Goddess Yun Shuno! Behold the Avatar of Yun Shuno!” They rush to bring a cocoon transport so the Supreme Commander does not have to carry Auset.

Czulkang wore living armor, which eyes peer at Auset, and scurries into the body armor. “Am I hallucinating?” Blurry images of male aliens and beasts hover over her in amazement. She survived torture without anesthetic and did not scream, but she was not prepared to not sense anything, even if she severs herself in the Force.

A crimson cloaked priest, Sa’pahki meets Czulkang and his squad near all the slaves protected by beasts that cover him like umbrellas. He blurts in succinct Galactic Basic Standard language. “Supreme Commander, you know this is blasphemy. The Shaper Caste is not ordained to expand the protocols to infidels. There are no liturgical references that can possibly assess the gravity of this phenomenon you call a miracle.”

“We do not know that, priest and Master Shaper Dal has the final word on what happened here,” Czulkang spoke irritably with the snobbery of the priest while on a battlefield.

In the Yuuzhan Vong holy language, Sa’pahki recites a short prayer saying of his arrogance to defer to his knowledge. “I cannot recommend this course of action. The Priest Caste interprets the Great Doctrine from the incarnation of Chief Deity Yun Yuuzhan and stand before the Supreme Overlord Asul Esh! If I bless this act, it would be heresy and I could be shamed.”

Czulkang snatches Sa’pahki out of his perch and by his throat with a sneer at a weasel that whines. “And what you would wish me to be shamed instead? Never in Domain Lah history have we been shamed!”

“Supreme Commander Czulkang Lah. No shaming here. We all can give testimony of this thaumaturgy. An infidel from this galaxy transfigured? We must believe that this galaxy has been promised to us and not because of fabricated miracles that the Warrior Castes discover. I will not give blessing, but as Supreme Commander, _you_ are required to give the benediction.”

Czulkang felt cold rain course through his living-armor as it was thirsty for drink. Sa’pahki was right, as the leader of his company, it was his sworn duty to give a benediction under normal circumstances. But what he and his squad witness is a miracle. He turns to gazes on the writhing human that withstood the ultimate in pain, and he chose to save her. For that act, it would be his shame and damnation out of his powerful Domain Lah, his family. He was no priest, but his devotion and prayers to the gods he complies. “If I am to be shamed, and ripped away from my Domain, it would be because of caste infighting grasping for power, not because of faith or feckless taboo.”

“Apologies, Supreme Commander, I did not hear you?” Sa’pahki arrogance in his tone in making warriors bend to his will. Warriors confuse him and he hates to serve under the ships. But he serves as a priest with warriors for escalation into the higher ranks of his Priest Caste.

Czulkang heard the lies of the Priest Caste many times, but the Yuuzhan Vong had not agree to cleanse this galaxy or bypass it, yet as thousands of their fleet with Worldships swim in the Void between the galaxies. He had to bide his time for retaliation against the priests. He thought it better to give the benediction than to leave traces of his people, the Yuuzhan Vong and their righteous expeditions. Reservedly he lowered prayerful voice speaks. “May the blessings of Yun Yammka baptize this sacrilegious planet by fire.”

He glares at the priest's smirk on his face and sees his squad awaits his command of absolution. “Release the firebreathers and sliviliths. Leave nothing but the _Tiz’Sh’rip_ alive.” He enunciated "the seed" to watch the priest's shock when decides to let her live.

His squad salutes and releases the living beasts headed for destruction of the land by his blessing.

“Priest, the goddess Yun Ne'Shel will save this woman’s life. It is a divine intervention. But if you pursue the liturgical analysis and false report on my expedition, to cause the children of Yun Yuuzhan to bypass galaxy when our bioships fleets are at end of life and dying, I assure you, there will be holy war between the castes,” Czulkang bores into Sa’pahki as if to melt his cobweb robes.

Sa'pahki cowers under the warrior as he scrambles atop his beast and races aboard the bioship while he watches Auset in pain. He feels nothing toward her as if she were a heathen animal slated for euthania along with the rest of the heathens. Then he scurries to his lair as the supreme commander with his squad enters the bioship.

Auset squirms under the Czulkang's gaze. Her purple irises aflame while she turns to witness the reptilian dogs maul and shred the Overseer’s henchmen. Czulkang's men impale the slaves with their snake-like weapons as the three-legged firebreathers rose 500 meters in height and their proboscises incinerate the Al Qotn swamp patties. The waters boiled to a steam that fry all living creatures, except those corralled by the aliens. The flying beasts, called sliviliths, darkened the air with a fine mist of fungi to kill the surrounding trees and plants. The firebreathers blew fire on the fungal mists that causes the area to explode in synchrony.

The Yuuzhan Vong process of erasing their presence was methodical. They made it appear to be as if a small space object, such as a meteorite that hit the ground, and incinerates the entire slave encampment and several kilometers around it. The effect made it look natural destruction.

Auset's Force powers return as she watches the slaves die by impalement and incineration. She senses that the sliviliths drop huge beetle-roach like insects filled with acid for blood to further melt the bones from the bodies. It burns her core person as her eyes drop a tear from the grief of what use to be her home for so long. These aliens wiped her home off the planet and an entire piece of land lay desiccant by their "divine judgment".

Czulkang Lah turns from her upon their completion and then confirms that his squad consecrates their prayerful task as the ship closes, and leaves the planet's atmosphere and enters lightspeed to the rest of the Yuuzhan Vong bioship fleet resting in the Void.

 

*******

 

As his men secure Auset in the cocoon, he retreats to his quarters and squeezes his communication device, called a villip organ. He calls the headquarters on a living ship called the Worldship to his boss, Warmaster Jamaane in a bow. “O Fearsome One, Warmaster Jamaane, request for synod between the Priest and Shaper Castes upon my arrival.”

Warmaster Jamaane’s scarred face appears in a hologram with a deep breath. Jamaane became Warmaster by killing his opponent from his battles in the deadly domain arena fights. He scans Czulkang with his security villip aboard his family's Worldship, or domain. However, Priest Sa’pahki transmitted his report before Czulkang could acknowledge his event. Jamaane being a warrior spoke to the other warrior plaintively. “I see. Will the current Shaper Caste Initiates heal this heathen for intervention?”

Czulkang conceals his surprise if Jamaane's revelation. “Yes Fearsome One. She is expected to survive.”

“Good. I shall speak to the Elites on behalf of the Domain Lah.”

“Fearsome One, the burden of proof is upon me, not my entire Domain!”

“Yes and this political game the Priest Caste dances to is also with the goddess Yun Harla and her Deception Sect. You know they bend the ears of half-truths," Jamaane no longer hides his disgust of his knowledge of Sa'pahki's report. "Do you mean to tell me that an infidel survives a lash of a knout, and relishes in the pain? Do you believe it is a gift from the Supreme Being, Yun Yuuzhan? That an infidel is the messenger sent long ago to welcome us into this unclean galaxy?” He pauses with incredulity and does not permit Czulkang to respond. “And you claim she is the avatar or the shamed goddess Yun Shuno Incarnate? Do you have lawful interpretive skills or divination abilities to make such liturgical claim? So, yes, Commander, your claim does rest on your entire domain." Jamaane leans into the view-eye of the villip and says quietly. "If this is the galaxy of promise as foretold in the Great Doctrine, perhaps your ‘Seed Mother’ will cause longevity for the Domain Lah for eons.”

Czulkang bows in humility. “Yes, O Fearsome One. If my Domain must be shamed by this, then we are all shamed for the truth and glory to the gods.”

Warmaster Jamaane from a different and more powerful domain had Priests, Master Shapers and Warriors among its castes. Each caste believes in one god in the pantheon and the will of the chief diety, Yun Yuuzhan. His domain knew of the liturgical risks that plague Domain Lah, Czulkang's domain. As a warrior, Jamaane supports Domain Lah, but as a member of Domain Jamaane, he saw it as foolish politicking to edge Domain Lah above his own. He can hear the fear in Czulkang's answers but there was more that he did not have time for an interrogation regarding the incident. “Vinim’hok, your domain will bring you closer to the gods. I will see to it personally.” To close this meeting, he utters the deep guttural battle cry. “DO RO-IK VONG PRATTE!”

Czulkang salutes. “DO RO-IK VONG PRATTE! BELEK TIU!”

His villip inverts, his entire squad whispers in sung hymnal. “She is the one called the Goddess Yun Shuno Incarnate. She did as Yun Yuuzhan commanded. Exalt her. Exalt her for the glory to the gods. Zhaelor.”


	4. Transfiguration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Auset is held in stasis until the Yuuzhan Vong learn who and what she is and whether they what they can do to her is holy. They learn so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, the Yuuzhan Vong do not know if this galaxy is the one they should live in. In there attempts to know for sure, they have found Auset to withstood pain unimaginable without crying. However, their religiosity stops them from believing that faith can come to the infidel and unclean -- or the non-Yuuzhan Vong. They have their religious tests that Auset breaks and are heretical. However, in this chapter, all participants who know they are way outside the faith, decide to deviate from it out of curiosity and deep down, they know they have to evolve to advance their people.

The Yuuzhan Vong Matalok bioship lands on the outrider ganglion platform. Supreme Commander Czulkang Lah exits with his squad of warriors, followed by his embedded Priest Sa’pahki. On the platform, representatives of the other castes stand, which includes Supreme Overlord Asul Esh’s religious and tactical advisors. Then, there was the foreboding face of High Prefect Lendir Skell of the second lowest caste and a bureaucrat. Czulkang muses to his squad. “The Intendent Caste? Why? Bureaucrats.”

His squad disgusted by the presence of political bureaucrats on what is a military operation. They prepare their weapons should any offensive statements cause this situation to escalate.

High Prefect Lendir Skell glistens in his green tunic tilts his head when he sees the cocoon with the infidel Auset. His mouth opens slow and closes slow from the great truths of the Great Doctrine, the bible to the Yuuzhan Vong, and its secrets found by the warrior caste. To the Intendent caste, the warrior god, Yun Yammka finds favor when Intendents support Warrior causes. This cause could lead to the galaxy as their new home, but he could see the Priests disagree, and like an Intendent, the word of the Supreme Overlord rules greater than just one incident unproven. Difficult to decide. The Priests stood beside him gauging the Intendent’s facial expressions. The High Priest Cahal Jakan inquires. “What are your observations, High Prefect Skell?”

Lendir strokes his chin in deep analysis. “Let us wait before making any firm decisions.” He watches Czulkang antipathy as he approaches him and his squad carries several weapons within reach to mock Intendents. “Ah! Supreme Commander Czulkang Lah! I see you have returned from the depths of filthiness and brought back a pet unbefitting of the maw luur!”

Czulkang wanted to impale the slime of this Intendent before everyone on domain Lah’s Worldship, but he knew it would cause a civil war among the domains. He bites his tongue hard to bloody it because Lendir’s words stung of his unholy blasphemy to bring Auset and his putrid exclamation would shame Czulkang. As a warrior, Czulkang hates the Intendent Caste. They are sleazy con artists that masquerade as politicians to skulk as advisers to the Supreme Overlord. These slime barely above shamed ones themselves reside in the underbelly of the Yuuzhan Vong to control crime and sin. “Prefect, prayers to the gods were lifted upon high as to discovery of the ‘Goddess Yun Shuno Incarnate’.”

Unfortunately, Lendir frowns as his worst views confirm his suspicions. “Only the Supreme Overlord Asul Esh can decide.”

Czulkang chose his next words carefully. “High Prefect Lendir Skell, I am blessed that you worry too much about my offering to the gods?”

Lendir eyes narrow equal in his sharp reply. “Puul. No. But I wonder how any discovery is worthy of the gods in a galaxy filled with heathens?”

Jakan interrupts the spat. “Now, now. Let us see if the gossip is true so that the rikyams have something to report to the Dread Lord.”

Czulkang conceals his knowledge and is glad he Warmaster Jamaane's presence will be there for the test after Lendir's snide comments. The entire warrior caste knew the goddess Yun Harla warps Intendent's thoughts and desires to ones of greed. Intendents do not fight like Warriors. A true warrior always worships Yun Yammka and ignores Yun Harla’s trickery through duty to protect the chief deity, Yun Yuuzhan and the Creche. Czulkang accepts that his discovery may be heretical and contrary to the Great Doctrine, but his determination to find a new galaxy as home and a Yuuzhan’tar, his homeworld, the completion of his people penance called the MAAFA is done. His thoughts mire through his mind - _If this infidel, thought to be human, thought her name to be Auset is the corporal body of the shamed goddess Yun Shuno that rests in a lowly infidel, she is the seed to save the children of the Crèche -- the Yuuzhan Vong._ _Only the hands of the Shaper Caste who have blessings by goddess Yun Ne’Shel would surely know her sister, Yun Shuno, though she is an infidel to survive this new galaxy._

 

*******

 

Dal reclines in his biological-pilot’s chair to direct the surgical troupe that includes a Yammosk War Coordinator, a huge orange jellyfish-squid-octapus in a tank, and a Qang Qahsa, a biological computer organ shaped like a pillbox diatom. His brain-implant syncs the large telepathic animals for his experimental conduction on a filthy infidel. This surgery is a play for shamed ones, they are unappreciative of refined culture and they waste valuable Shaper Caste resources that could be of better use on the elite Yuuzhan Vong. The Yammosk cradles “the specimen” and places her on living surgical table. He examines her through his new binocular eye-implants (maa’its). Her pallor skin is lifeless as he contemptuously sighs because his diagnosis is that she is dead. Dal knows the science. His superior records as a Shaper with instruments all tuned before he gestures to begin this community show with prayer. “May the precision of the goddess Yun Ne’Shel masterfully guide my hands for the glory of the gods!”

He activates his neural connection to the Yammosk and authorizes it to emit a small jolt from its ganglia to resuscitate the specimen. He feels the sharp stare of the audience in the VIP suite. His unappreciative judges of his “music” and therefore, he describes every step of the sacred Shaper protocol. “I am pressing the nerve bundles and the blue bioluminesce. That will confirm the specimen is alive and stasis.” His 8-fingers press chords to set a musical number to confirm his absolution on his experiment. “No infidel from this galaxy has survived any of the holy protocols, High Priest Jakan. My use of Yammosk on her is blasphemy. It is my duty to demand than my transgressions be overlooked and stop this experiment to autopsy the specimen, immediately.”

Jakan sighs as he crosses his arms in the VIP suite with Czulkang, Lendir and a hologram of Warmaster Jamaane as ombudsmen for all Warriors. By Jamaane's presence, it set the idea that if anyone were to be shamed, such as Czulkang, then all the Yuuzhan Vong present would be held accountable. While Jakan was of similar rank as the Warmaster, his alliance could prove beneficial to his cause – to stop searching for a blessed galaxy as this one is theirs after many millennia of traveling in the void of space. Since Jakan made his unilateral edict of holy see, he leads this investigation. “Continue Master Shaper Dal. Your request is duly noted and accepted...by the Priest caste.”

Lendir thinks infidel experimentation is foolish. No matter the outcome, the Priest caste has its writs from the Shaper caste and they get to decide the codex of the Yuuzhan Vong enforced by the Warrior Caste. “You know High Priest Jakan, it is taboo for Warriors to enter the Shaper Caste’s biomedical facilities without invitation.” His smug grin meets squarely with Czulkang’s dirty scowl. “The Great Doctrine of the gods will be altered with one tiny pinch for the line of surgical position.”

“High Prefect, imagine all the souls you will save with your evangelism,” Jakan muses wearily after a long moment. Czulkang crosses his arms and snickers quietly at Lendir’s rebuke.

Dal commands the Yammosk ganglia to send another shock, but the Qang Qahsa does not chirp and remains quiet due to lack of brainwaves from the specimen. “Guests, this experiment must end. The parameters of the Yammosk have been exceeded. The time of death must be called.” A long moment passes as they all wait for an directive.

Suddenly, water splashes on the floor as the Yammosk shakes violently. The Qang Qahsa flings across the surgical hall as information surges in Dal’s brain-implant. Utter nonsense evokes from his mouth as the Qang Qahsa struggles to upright itself to flash a message. “WARNING: YAMMOSK TELEPATHIC PROGRAM MALBIOT!”

The sirens alarm as shapers wrangle the Yammosk. The specimen bats her eyes and twitches her hands as the Yammosk's ganglia move by her thoughts. They blast the Dal and the shapers from their positions. Delusional, he drags himself to the biological computer thrown across the surgical hall and records his observations. “The specimen ascends 5 meters in the air and her eyes glow purple. This is abnormal for an…infidel. At 11 minutes, high, very high winds spin here in the middle of the surgical hall.” His voice quavers in disbelief as debris swirls. He ducks from it in awe. Not a devoutly religious, he yells the Master Shaper battlecry. “Fy’y Roog! Glory be to the gods!” He grips to his chair base with an icy stare into the VIP suite. “She now emits lightning from her fingertips! O Yun Yuuzhan, protect me!”

The Master Shaper initiate named Kwaad is under the tutelage of Dal, crawls to him as he avoids debris. “Master Shaper Dal! We must leave the damutek! It is has become unholy!”

Dal frowns in disappointment to Kwaad failure to accepts destiny by all the caste gods. Dal's negotiation to not be demoted was futile. The experiment is its grand design of destiny of the gods, he thought. Dal squeezes his head from the excision of his tumor and its soreness in pain that Kwaad never had faith in the gods. “Kwaad, I am transfigured! Look around us. Don’t you see it? I am not afraid anymore. We serve Yun Shuno because of this.” His words are record into the Qang Qahsa.

Auset floats lighting as fog-smoke rolls around the room when she focuses on Dal and his brain tumor implant plops to the ground as puss and blood spews from it. She broke his connection to the Yammosk and her. Dal smiles at Kwaad of his new found freedom, and the mundane sounds of noise music.

Kwaad gasps at the sight and cowers at Dal as he realizes his master has gone mad. No venerable Master Shaper like Dal would ever willing become shamed or demoted to the lowest caste, but here they were, his Master surrendering himself to a filthy infidel. He watches her float around the room when he notices her knout wounds, that have healed into a ornate pattern he recognizes as the entry into their new home galaxy as promised by the gods. He wonders if the Priest Caste sees what he sees. He could not tell when he looks up to the VIP suite and he quickly grabs the Qang Qahsa to record. She hovers near Kwaad, as he yells quickly. “By the gods! Only they can bless such an arrangement!” That is when he saw it, the idea came to his mind, an epiphany. Only Shapers could diagnose, the other castes rely on their diagnosis. He could say anything about her scars and he will state in his report that her scars are an indication that this galaxy is of promise. As dead animal debris hits him and delusional Dal that prays, Kwaad masterfully puts his plan in motion. “Master Shaper Dal, the Qang Qahsa detects her genetic neurological decay and distress!” He looks at her holding the readout in his hand and looks to Auset to beg for his life. “You are still compassionate after we have neglected you, O Yun Shuno Incarnate. Please forgive us and we will serve you.” Kwaad fakes his genuflection to see if she hears his words. Auset face twist in confusion unsure what Kwaad means as the wind dissipates, the debris drops and the Yammosk stops sloshing in its tank. Her eyes rapidly blink back into normal pupils as she collapses on the table and becomes unconscious.

Dal bows similarly with Kwaad for what seems like a long time. They pick up the data in the debris for review. “Her name is Awe-Set - Auset! And…the Qang Qahsa data are inconclusive of her...religious promise."

"But she hacked into the Yammosk’s telepathy neurological functions within minutes,” Kwaad yells to make sure the VIPs heard him.

In the disheveled VIP suite, a squeaky-voice Lendir crawls out from under a desk-creature unscathed. He straightens his regal robes and tunic, and squeals when hears Kwaad. “Does the Yammosk and Qang Qahsa say why they were hacked?”

Jakan and Czulkang scowl with disgust from such cowardice by Lendir.

“No. But she hacked the Yammosk through the sacred Cortices.” He flips through the report to confirm. “My diagnosis is based on our belief how the gods speak to us through our biots. The eighth cortex is our direct connection to the gods. We believe, that the Supreme Overlord’s direct channel was...why the Yammosk got scared. Its biochemistry panel shows an infiltration, we are still identifying pathways and logistics.”

The Yammosk's various hues of bioluminescent light dissipates that the neural hyperactivity calms as it slowly falls asleep.

The Yuuzhan Vong ponder the religious ramifications of the sacred Cortical infiltration. After a long silence, Warmaster Jamaane speaks. “I will inform the Supreme Overlord Asul Esh.”

The VIPs all bow in reverence as the hologram dissipates.

Jakan searches for consolation. “Commander Lah, it is your discovery. The inf – the specimen, Auset is under your auspices. She is your pet should you wish it.”

“High Priest Cahal Jakan, this is no longer a military matter! It affects our liturgical understanding of the gods!” Lendir exclaims. “Did you see what the specimen did to our Yammosk? We need more intelligence before we sway the people of galactic conquest!”

Czulkang snaps. “Are you a brenzlit, Skell? Are you afraid that Yun Harla’s trickery won’t work on Supreme Overlord Esh like you had hoped?”

“High Prefect Lendir Skell, we will wait Warmaster Jamaane’s report,” Jakan intervenes and hoists his priestly garb to prick his finger for a blood offering. Czulkang follows.

“At what cost? At the loss of our entire fleet already sick and tired of traveling the void for the passage? Or the genocide of the Yuuzhan Vong by a filthy infidel force?” Skell skulks.

Czulkang sneers. “My life is for the gods! If they ask me for my body to be burned, I will do it!”

Dal hears the bickering as he announces to the suite. “High Priest Jakan, I can heal her lacerations, but more protocols will be broken and I require complete absolution.”

Kwaad cleans the wounds of Auset and wonders aloud. “Were you sent by the gods? Can you shape the souls of the Yuuzhan Vong? Are you the ‘Yun Shuno Incarnate’?”

Jakan reassures Dal. “Promise me you will not sacrifice her for autopsy and I promise you the gods will find favor in you in the Priest caste.”

“Thank you your Eminence.” Dal reviews the data as he watches Kwaad clean Auset to study how she infiltrated the sacred cortices of the Yammosk.

Jakan suggest to Czulkang in quiet tones. “Commander Lah, I suggest we defer any decisions until she is healed.”

Czulkang observes the lush green compost disposal unit, the maw luur as it digests organic garbage and debris. “We recycle our garbage. We rely too much of our decay." He crosses his arms and exhales to comply to an honest discussion of his faith and what just occurred. "If the gods will it, I will, High Priest Cahal Jakan.”

Lendir interrupts the private conversation. “Proud of your treasure Commander Lah?”

“High Prefect Lendir Skell. Warriors catch more prey while in silence,” Czulkang stares at him with his killer's eyes and eye sacs turn a rich bioluminescent blue for a long moment, and then he exits the damutek.

Jakan eyes at Lendir, and then leaves.

Lendir rolls his eyes as he squeezes his villip to his apprentice, Nom Anor for help, but there is no answer.


End file.
